There will be generational shift in Congress leadership: Khurshid

Shillong, Oct 7 (IANS) Amid reports that Rahul Gandhi was set to take over the party leadership, Congress leader Salman Khurshid on Saturday said there will be a generational shift in the party soon.

“I personally don’t think we should speculate why he is not coming, when will he come… I can say that it is now objectively clear that the generational change in leadership is now on the anvil. It will happen,” KHurshid told journalists here in Meghalaya.

“Some of us think we need to put this new structure in place well before the next Lok Sabha election. We are all hopeful that he should take this decision and announce it. I hope it happens soon,” the former central minister said.

Noting that Rahul Gandhi was already part of the triumvirate – Congress President Sonia Gandhi, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and he (Rahul) as Vice President, Kurshid said: “He (Rahul) has something in his mind. I think he is working to a plan. As and when he makes up his mind and discloses his plans to us, we will be there to support him.”

Admitting that since the 2014 Lok Sabha election the Congress had not been able to show any spectacular success, Khurshid said: “An objective coordination between the opposition parties is necessary for us to take on the BJP.”

He also accused the Modi government of adopting double standards while dealing with the Rohingya refugee crisis.

“On the one hand you are giving citizenship (to some) and on the other you are not even giving temporary place to stay before they can go back when things turn to normal,” he said.

“It is certainly a very narrow-minded attitude of the government,” he said.

“We have always supported refugees. During the Tibet crisis, Tibetans came here, when the Afghan crisis happened, Afghans came here, during the Sri Lanka crisis, Tamils came here. And we kept them for many many years,” he said.